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WRT 101 Themes

WRT-101 Themes Spring 2027
Instructor Title Section Description Keywords
Kelly Joyner And the Oscar goes to... WRT 101-023, MTh 11:20 What do our nominated and awarded movies say about us and our culture? In what ways do movies and the Academy Awards reflect (or not) our values, morals, interests, politics, and identities? In this writing course, we will research, discuss, and write about current movies through cultural studies lenses, using the Oscars nominations to provide focus. In addition to movies and the Academy Awards broadcast, our texts will be articles about writing and the pieces that you find during your research of topics that were inspired by the nominated movies. If analyzing and digging deeper into movies’ cultural underpinnings (and not simply stanning your faves) is your jam, this class is for you. movies, cinema, pop culture, criticism
Catherine Sawers Essential Work 101.049 T/F 4:04-5:20 How do we talk about our jobs? How do we talk about other people’s jobs? “Essential Work” is a writing seminar that will delve into the working world and parse how we study and talk about jobs, people, industries, housing, and wages. Readings will rely heavily on first-hand testimony and interviews in books by Studs Terkel (The Great Divide), David Graeber (Bullshit Jobs), Jessica Calarco (Holding It Together), and Matthew Desmond (Evicted). We will also watch documentaries and films. In addition to research and writing, students will learn how to interview, to create new knowledge, and contribute to their field. labor, economics, gender, jobs
Casey Bieda Of Margins and Monsters: Writing, Perspective, and Activism 063, M/R, 230-345PM Writing always has a job to do. Historically, science fiction and speculative fiction writing, for example, ask us to contemplate what problems we are facing in our current culture. Many of these stories underscore important “real world” conversations about environmentalism, equity and equality, power, social justice, and technological development. and science fiction and research-based writing share the common goal of highlighting the current conflicts in our culture, and facilitating actionable solutions to our most immediate societal issues. This genre of writing highlights what is wrong to us in the hope that we will examine what we believe is right. It is a genre of advocacy, action, and change. Therefore, this writing course examines, through the lens of science fiction and speculative fiction, the craft of writing as a form of participation. Students will learn not only sustainable rhetorical practices for composition, but also learn how to engage with the perspectives of others, how to critically assess the presentation of information, and how we can create the future we want by considering the future we don’t want. environmentalism, activism, science fiction, popular culture, social advocacy, environmental justice, film
Alex Koch Everyone’s a Critic: Satire and Social Commentary, from Chaucer to Clickbait WRT 101-052 M/Th 6:55pm-8:10pm Satire, in its many forms, is omnipresent in contemporary and historical western culture. Its popularity derives in part from satire’s use of humor, which typically sets out to entertain. While students will be entertained in this course, they will also dive into the rhetorical analysis of satire through centuries, examining rhetorical choices by authors, producers, and late-night talk show hosts. Writers like Geoffrey Chaucer, Kurt Vonnegut, Jonathan Swift, Mark Twain, and Margaret Atwood critique social situations through a satirical lens, evoking a greater school of thought through their writing. Much like these satirists, who strive not only to evoke laughter but to challenge onlookers to arrive at new ideas, students will work with stimulative prose to inspire new ways of thinking about rhetoric. Understanding satire deepens our understanding of common rhetorical themes, and inspires us to make persuasive claims in our own writing, possibly making a good joke or two in the process. satire, history, social commentary
Emma Francois Fashioning Thought: Writing with Style & Intent WRT101-057, TF, 11:20-12:35 Fashion has to do with ideas,” Coco Chanel said, “the way we live, what is happening.” This course explores the fundamentals of writing by considering fashion. What can the principles of design teach us about our own writing and the writing we love? How can we fashion our writerly identities to produce meaningful texts engaging the world we live, dress, and write in? We’ll start the semester exploring fashion writing across genres by translating a scholarly essay into a presentation for a popular audience. As we write, we’ll experiment with skills from the designer’s toolkit (like social brainstorming, vision boards, and sketches) to disrupt and examine our own writing processes. Other major assignments include a “collage annotated bibliography” and a class field trip to a museum in D.C. to explore how writing, in conjunction with other mediums, exists beyond the page. Drawing on this experience and research conducted throughout the semester, we’ll write an 8-12 page object essay to discern—and communicate—how one sartorial text can change and reflect the world. celebrity, culture, fashion, design
Mike Cabot "Haters Gonna Hate": Better Writing Through Pop Culture Criticism WRT 101-054, MTh 9:45-11:20 What is criticism good for? Who exactly are these “critics” who speak so poorly of the things we like? Aren’t they just “haters”? In this class, we’ll explore the deep connections between cultural criticism and scholarly writing: balancing skepticism with open-mindedness, avoiding premature and permanent certainty, marshaling evidence to support assertions, and developing a metacognitive approach to writing. We’ll read the work of professional critics – about film, television, music, food, fashion, and art – to better understand the choices writers make. Then, you'll craft your own responses to art and culture while sharpening your choices in style, research, and argument. pop culture, art, movies, criticism
Adam Tamashasky Ta-Nehisi Coates: Thinker, Writer, American Witness WRT101-013, M/Th, 9:45am-11:00am Ever since his 2014 Atlantic essay “The Case for Reparations,” followed by his 2015 book Between the World and Me, Ta-Nehisi Coates has been a powerful public voice on racism, history, and politics in America. For our course, he offers a genre-spanning body of work (memoir, journalism, criticism, and opinion) from which we can glean advanced lessons in argument and composition. Our texts include his most recent book, The Message, as well as Between the World and Me (paired with James Baldwin’s The Fire Next Time), and We Were Eight Years in Power. race, U.S. history, journalism, politics
Adam Tamashasky The New Yorker Course WRT101-024, M/Th, 11:20am-12:35pm William Shawn, who edited The New Yorker from 1952-1987, once said, "The New Yorker has devoted itself for 59 years not only to facts and literal accuracy, but to truth. And truth begins, journalistically, with the facts." We will work with this magazine not as an arbiter of truth but as a trove of endlessly readable essays. By reading The New Yorker as writers, we will learn tips and techniques that build on those learned in WRT 100. The weekly content of the magazine will direct the semester's lessons and writing projects (i.e., we’ll emulate the nonfiction genres found in the New Yorker). journalism, current events, arts, politics
Sally Kondos Finding Your Voice: Building Writing Confidence Through Language and Research WRT-101-043 T, F 2:30 PM- 3:45PM This seminar examines how developing writing proficiency fosters linguistic self-esteem and personal confidence. Students explore the remarkable process by which the brain acquires and produces language, building an appreciation for the science of language, including psycholinguistics. Through sociolinguistic and psychological readings on the relationship between writing, well-being, and self-fulfillment, students reflect on how language shapes identity. Students also develop core academic writing skills: formulating research questions, organizing papers, writing effective abstracts, and designing research methods. By conducting original studies, they strengthen their research writing and learn to carry these skills across disciplines, growing into academic writers who express their ideas in their own voice, with confidence and a genuine sense of purpose. Linguistic confidence, Language and identity, Research writing
Mary Switalski Heritage, Vision, and Power: Writing about Art 101.017; 101.029 Art is individual expression and cultural tradition; it illuminates and transforms the human experience. It inspires and critiques actions, societies, and institutions. How can art draw us into public discourse? How can researching art help us evaluate its role in our communities? How can writing about art reflect and influence change? These are questions covered by this writing course. While art is increasingly multimodal, you’ll primarily view, research, analyze, and write about visual art. Writing projects cover rhetorical contexts including gallery text, critical review, and a final project that researches and critiques art’s role in influencing social change. *This course uses specifications grading, and requires visiting an art museum. art, visual art, art museum, art for change
Jozie Konczal "What's your favorite scary movie?": The Rhetoric of Horror WRT-101-044, T/F, 2:30-3:45 What makes horror movies scary, and why are we drawn to what frightens us? This writing course engages with some of the theory behind the jump scares and explores how film does more than just entertain. Why do some monsters make us laugh, while others invade our nightmares? What does the horror film genre stand to tell us about ourselves and our society? By viewing, reading, and ultimately writing about these movies, students will aim to better understand how scary movies have the power to frighten, yes, but also influence and persuade audiences. film, pop culture, social horror, horror film
Stina Oakes This Written Life 39 “Each week on our program, of course, we choose a theme, and bring you different kinds of stories on that theme.” – Ira Glass, This American Life Following the structure of the podcast This American Life, you will develop an individual topic to explore. Past topics have included: show choir, nutrition, fashion, boy bands, NASCAR, and dictators. You will write three pieces on your topic, practicing approaching a similar topic through a variety of rhetorical contexts. As a class, our theme will be the craft and process of writing. We will build on your experiences in 100, continuing to examine and practice the conventions and rhetorical strategies of academic writing. Readings will span a variety of disciplines and genres, including texts that focus on writing, reading, and research, such as Joseph Harris’ Rewriting and articles from WritingSpaces.org. pop culture, media
Walker Peters Composition through Speculative Fiction 101-046, M-Th, 2:30-3:45 Whether you realize it or not, speculative fiction is a dominant force in our modern culture. Aside from being popular as entertainment, speculative fiction offers powerful avenues for authors to discuss the world around them. In this course, we'll develop our writing and critical reading skills through engagement with stories and essays on speculative fiction. We'll also learn how to enter the conversation surrounding speculative fiction, add something new, and deepen our understanding of how the choices we make while writing are effected by genre (literary and otherwise). fiction, literature, fantasy, science fiction
Shannon Zellars-Strohl Murder Most Foul: Culture Engagments with the Serial Killer 101-03 TF 8am From Charles Manson's visions of Helter Skelter to the devilishly charming Dexter, our culture appropriates and (re)produces images of sadistic killers and their gruesome crimes. What makes the figure of the serial killer so compelling? What can we say about serial killers and our cultural obsession with them--and what are the most successful strategies in writing about them? In this class we will study how serial killers are rhetorically constructed through various forms of media, even as we engage scholarly discourses about serial killers in fields as diverse as psychology, ethics, and geography. In researching and writing about serial killers in this course, you will practice crafting rhetorical arguments about American violence for both academic and general audiences. True Crime, pop culture, film
Pamela Gibson-Flowers The Opinion Essay - Make Your Voice Heard! WRT-101-033, T,F, 12:55-2:10 PM, Ready to make your ideas count? In this course, students explore the power of words, learn to build compelling arguments, and discover how to persuade audiences through effective writing. From crafting bold thesis statements to supporting opinions with credible evidence and considering opposing viewpoints, students will develop the skills to express their ideas with confidence, think critically, and make a meaningful impact. Bring your opinions, challenge perspectives, and learn to turn your ideas into powerful arguments! Opinion, media, politics, advocacy, Impact
Danny Coates-Finke Touch Grass: Finding Meaning in the Garden WRT-101-005, M/TH, 8:10-9:25 American University is home to dozens of exuberant gardens in a nationally recognized arboretum. In this course, you'll spend time on these grounds, observing the campus thawing into spring. Through these observations, you'll find a question that matters to you and pursue it with expressive writing and academic research. In class, we'll dip into a millennia of traditions around garden writing, examining how writers use gardens to discuss everything from private passion to structural inequality, religious devotion to climate change. We'll read texts from Olivia Laing, Jamaica Kincaid, Ada Limón, Ben Dark, and others. Ultimately, you'll write a reflective essay, synthesizing research and personal experience, which explores your semester's journey with the garden. Nature, religion, climate, food
Marnie Twigg Forbidden Discourse: Sex in Research and Writing 101.060 M/Th 2:30-3:45 Why is it so hard to talk about sex? This class seeks to answer this question by studying current and historical discourses about desire, bodies, and relationships. In doing so, we’ll learn more about how "forbidden" information moves within and around the cultural institutions that try to regulate it, including government, business, religion, media-- and academia itself. Sample topics: defining sexual liberation, navigating hookup culture, intimacy and healthy relationships, asexuality, intersectional porn literacy, sexualized and scientific racism, the perils of TikTok dating advice and AI chatbots, reproductive rights rhetoric, “queering” sex education, and sexual assault prevention beyond standard consent education. media studies, psychology, public policy, health
Caimeen Garrett Criminal Perceptions 025 MTH 11:20AM; 036 MTH 12:55PM; 047 MTH 2:30PM Our society is fascinated with crime, though this interest is nothing new: from Puritan execution sermons to 19th century murder ballads, the American public has always hungered to “hear the whole disturbing story.” What does our fascination with crime reveal about us? Why do certain crimes seize the public imagination? Why are some criminals and victims more compelling than others? How has the media coverage of crime shaped our perceptions and expectations? In this course we will examine how crime is written—or not written—about. Writing in this course will include analyzing genre conventions, writing in unfamiliar forms, and scrutinizing media coverage for values, beliefs, and assumptions. Possible Texts: True Crime: An American Anthology, edited by Harold Schechter; Fatal Vision, by Joe McGinniss; The Journalist and the Murderer, by Janet Malcolm. crime, media, narratives
Charity Parris Health, Wellness, and Fitness in Digital Media WRT-101-051, M/Th, 5:30-6:45 pm From social media captions like “Lifting Dos and Don’ts” to “Lose Weight Now!”-esque magazine headlines, the digital landscape comprises many (and often competing) messages about health. So in what ways can we sort through it all? How can we take control of how digital media may influence our views on this topic? This course invites students to write about health, wellness, and fitness through a critical and reflective lens. We will explore how these topics are represented, marketed, and consumed through analyzing modern and older digital media. The writing in this course asks students to build on their existing skillsets, focusing on rhetorical analysis, extensive research, and original argumentation. health, wellness, digital media, social media
Tara Hollander “Pick Me, Choose Me, Love Me” — Reading and Responding to Pop Media WRT-101-016, M/Th, 9:45-11:00am We all have our favorite movies, TV shows, video games, and books––but have you ever wondered why they matter so much to you? In this course we will learn to read pop-culture media like writers. We’ll look at rhetorical decisions in a variety of mediums through the lens of six key terms. Popular media can be so much more than a form of entertainment. You’ll have the opportunity to explore fan-favorites or trash TV, and gain a deeper understanding of the writing behind them. This is your chance to nerd out. Throughout our time, you will demonstrate the writing and rhetorical skills you’ve learned. Pop Culture, Media, Reflection
Marriya Schwarz More Than Buzzfeed: Writing through Entertainment Journalism WRT-101-034 T/F 12:55 PM - 2:10 PM Calling all fandom experts! Ever thought about turning your pop culture obsession into a career? Our course will be studying the rhetorical techniques and methods used by entertainment journalists, drawing on professional examples from Variety, The A.V. Club, Rolling Stone, and more. We will also be collaborating on our own Buzzfeed blog (which we'll call AUFeed) to practice writing our own articles, from reviews, to quizzes, to listicles. Throughout the course of the semester, we will be learning about what it takes to interview industry professionals, as well as how to critically evaluate and analyze pieces of pop culture media. Pop culture, interviews, blogging
Edward Helfers Write to the City 101-40 M/TH 12:55-2:10, 101-45 M/TH 2:30-3:45 Who should decide how to shape urban spaces? How can everyday citizens give voice to problems that escape the planning powers-that-be? In this course, you will use your experience of place to engage in debates over the design, regulation, and preservation of the built environment. Think Triumphal Arch, Fairfax data centers, tech company towns, greenwashing in Malaysia. Site visits, to the National Mall and the Smithsonian Zoo, will supplement our major writing assignments, which include architecture criticism, a field study, and a multi-modal proposal. Kew words: Urban Studies, Sustainability, Social Justice, Architecture, Public Memory
Allison Sparks Fandom, Gender, and Rhetoric: Think Like a Critic, Write Like a Fan WRT-101-009 TF 9:45 AM 11:00 AM; WRT-101-018 T, F 11:20 AM 12:35 PM Are you a fan, or a fanatic? What does a celebrity owe her fan base, and is there such a thing as a healthy parasocial relationship? How can fans influence pop culture, or even rewrite the narrative through fan fiction? In this seminar, we will examine the rhetorical relationship between fandom and culture through podcasts, essays and scholarly articles. By applying the lens of gender to fandom, we will investigate who gets labelled as a fan and who has the agency to claim fandom for themselves. Writers Roxane Gay, Jia Tolentino and more will challenge our assumptions and maybe even validate our obsessions. Students will explore their own fan-girl (or maybe anti-fan) tendencies through original research projects that engage the conversation around rhetoric, gender and fandom. fandom studies, gender, rhetoric
Elizabeth Peller To Read is to Voyage: National Geographic and Rhetoric 101-064, M/Th 4:05-5:20 National Geographic Explorer Sylvia Earle said, “Humans are the only creatures with the ability to dive deep in the sea, fly high in the sky, send instant messages around the globe, reflect on the past, assess the present and imagine the future.” Within this course, we will be looking at National Geographic as a model for writing and rhetoric. We will engage with Nat Geo articles, take a field trip to the Museum of Exploration, and consider how National Geographic works across many genres. National Geographic writers engage in research, develop theories, write concisely for general audiences, and join ongoing conversations. In WRT 101, we are beginning to practice these same things, which makes National Geographic an excellent case study. National Geographic, science, history, journalism, museum studies
Allison Sparks Comedy and Gender: The Rhetoric of Feminist Comedy WRT-101-042 T, F 2:30 PM - 3:45 PM What does gender have to do with comedy? Just ask the guy who recently blew up your social media feed with his “jokes” about women at the gym. If you can be a misogynist on Saturday Night Live in 2026, is there anything you can’t joke about? In this seminar, we will examine the rhetorical choices made by comics in stand-up sets, sitcoms, podcasts, and memoirs. Writers Lindy West, Roxane Gay and more will enable us to critique comedy through a feminist lens and feminism through a comedic lens. Much like these funny writers, who strive not only to evoke laughter but to challenge audiences to arrive at new ideas, students will grapple with provocative material that will inspire new ways of thinking. An awareness of genre will inspire students to make persuasive claims in their own writing. By undertaking original research projects, students will become engaged in the ongoing conversation surrounding comedy, gender, and intersectional feminism. gender, comedy, rhetoric
Ryan Jefferson Propaganda, and the Power of Persuasion WRT-101-048, M/Th 2:30-3:45 What is rhetoric? What is propaganda? In this course, students will examine persuasive strategies and techniques by studying the practice of propaganda. Students will perform analytical and persuasive writing. This course will examine the nuances of rhetoric and propaganda: What separates rhetoric from propaganda? Is propaganda necessarily “bad”? What is an ethical approach to persuasion? How do we navigate misinformation and disinformation in a digital landscape? propaganda, rhetoric, persuasion
Kim Ross The Rhetorics of the Civil Rights Movement WRT 101-004: M/Th, 8:10-9:25; WRT 101-012: M/Th, 9:45-11:00; WRT 101-028, M/Th 11:20-12:35 In this course, we will take an expansive historical approach, exploring the evolution of the movement from its post-bellum roots to the current push for political, economic, and social liberation. This course will build on what you learned in WRT 100 by critically examining texts, analyzing rhetorical situations, crafting ambitious and provocative thesis statements, and contributing to scholarly discourse by producing powerful, original arguments. Major writing assignments may include a pamphlet, an epistolary essay, or a policy paper, and the creation of a multimodal text. We will examine the rhetoric of civil rights legislation, including the Reconstruction Amendments, particularly the 14th Amendment, which nullified and overturned the 1857 Dred Scott Decision. We will also analyze Supreme Court cases such as Plessy vs. Ferguson, the 1954 Brown decision, and the visually persuasive moves in documentary footage surrounding events such as the murder of Emmitt Till, the desegregation of Central High School, the Montgomery Bus Boycott, and the activism of the sit-in movement and the founding of the Student Nonviolent Coordinating Committee (SNCC). Additionally, we will look at the persuasive moves in the writings of anti-lynching activists and suffragettes, Ida B. Wells-Barnett and Mary Church Terrell, founding member of the NAACP W.E.B. DuBois, in addition to the rhetoric of Martin Luther King, Jr., Malcolm X, leaders of Black Panther Party, and Angela Davis.
Kate Wilson Writing About Nature and the Environment 101.008 and 101.041 TF 925 230 In “Writing About Nature and the Environment” we will examine nature and writing about nature in many ways: through observation, rhetorical analysis, and research. In the various writing assignments this semester, you’ll hone your research and writing skills and learn to see writing as joining an ongoing conversation that you can add to. Course texts will include the documentaries Human Footprint and Art & Science Collide, plus selections from Elizabeth Kolbert’s The Sixth Extinction, Paul Wapner’s Is Wildness Over, Aldo Leopold’s A Sand County Almanac, Evelyn White’s “Black Women and the Wilderness,” Ed Yong’s An Immense World, Robin Wall Kimmerer’s Braiding Sweetgrass: Indigenous Wisdom, Scientific Knowledge, and the Teaching of Plants, Edward Abbey’s Desert Solitaire, and a variety of essays from Writing Spaces. nature, envorinment
JJ Strong Writing Wellness Section #027: M/Th 11:20; Section #038 M/Th 12:55 It seems like everywhere we turn we are faced with proclamations about what we should be doing or not doing in order to achieve a state of wellbeing. But what exactly does it mean to be well? And to what extent is your own understanding of what it means to be “healthy” a constructive one? In this class, we will assess the diversity of claims made in our culture’s “rhetoric of wellness,” weigh those claims against scientifically backed research, and ultimately advance the type of conclusive, credible arguments that are so vital to the health sciences and academic discourse in general. Health, Wellness, Science
Jocelyn McCarthy The Power of Narrative 101-001, TF 8:10-9:25; 101-019, TF 11:20-12:35; 101-032, TF 12:55-2:10 Human beings tell stories about virtually everything and for virtually every purpose. As readers, we itch for a “good story.” As writers, we understand that we’re tapping into a powerful force when we tell a story, a force that’s useful in a variety of rhetorical contexts – especially in the genre of research- and argument-driven writing that is so foundational in the academy. In this course, we’ll strengthen our research and argument skills, we’ll explore scholarly discussion of narrative, and we’ll examine strategies for harnessing the power of narrative to create more powerful and persuasive writing. narrative, storytelling
Eran Eads Performing College Writing 101-062, M/Th 9:45-11:00 College writing is a performance. In this course, you will rehearse, experiment, and perform through words — discovering, in the process, how language constructs identity and meaning. We’ll explore how writing shapes cultural norms, challenges expectations, and enters broader conversations. Every assignment will be a stage. Through practice and reflection, you’ll see writing not just as a skill, but as a dynamic performance that reveals how you shape the world through your words. Performance
Daisy Levy Extra/Ordinary Stories: Listening for and Practicing Storytelling to Build Community and Change the World 101-011, M/Th 9:45 - 11:00 "Once a story is told, it cannot be called back. Once told, it is loose in the world." – T. King, The Truth About Stories Joan Didion says “we tell ourselves stories in order to live.” A sticker I have claims stories have been “helping us understand the world since, like, forever.” Few would disagree that the story has a central place in our daily lives, yet settler-colonial paradigms still associate them mostly with entertainment and distraction. Instead, this course invites you to embrace a worldview in which stories are practiced by groups of people for a greater purpose – as a bridge between the past, present, and future, and to heal, teach, and connect communities. We’ll learn about indigenous cultural communities and their story practices, as well as study two models of storytelling (Oral History and Narrative Inquiry) often used in academic research. Key to our learning will be deep consideration of the ethics and conventions inherent in all. Work in this course will help you develop field research skills: listening, curating, and protecting stories, and finding meaningful ways to distribute them in academic and non-academic venues. decolonial research, storytelling, oral history, interviews
Matt Bukowski How to Survive a Slasher (and Live to Write About It) 101-053, M/Th 8:20pm-9:35pm Horror is a genre predicated on metacognition: Fear is experienced because we know we are in danger, and we must act to survive. Horror films and other media recognize that audiences have become keenly aware of the tropes and patterns associated with this genre, giving rise to metahorror: stories that make explicit the "rules" and how to follow them (or break them) in order to survive. Through genre criticism and cognitive awareness, this course explores horror tropes to gain a closer understanding of the patterns and systems we all live and die by, unpacking our fears and thrills by writing about the hows and whys behind some of our favorite scary movies. (This course's topics will include explorations of violence and other intense themes.) horror, media, film, criticism
Ed Comstock Putting D.C. on the Map: Exploring and Documenting the “Real D.C.” 101-022, TF 11:20-12:35; 101-059, TF 12:55-2:10 In this class we’ll research and write about the “real D.C.” beyond all the marble: its cultural diversity and complexity, its legendary underground punk and hip-hop scenes, its neighborhoods and walls and streets. From the fight for Black Lives Matter Plaza to Gallaudet students’ campaign for a “Deaf President Now,” from #DontMuteDC to a sandwich thrown at a federal agent at 14th and U, we’ll find inspiration in the everyday challenges and triumphs of ordinary people living in this not-ordinary city. Adopting a rhetorical approach, you’ll analyze the complexities of urban lives through their various forms of expression—as arguments made with sound, fashion, paint, and bodies. Along the way, you'll write your own Atlas Obscura entry about a D.C. place that matters to you, create your own graffiti and argue about its value and meaning, and interrogate who gets to document and tell the stories of D.C. culture. Punk, hip-hop, graffiti, fashion
Jeremy Wade Rhetoric of American Music 101-014, M/Th 9:45-11:00; 101-026, M/Th 11:20-12:35; 101-037, M/Th 12:55-2:10 American music has always been one of the most creative, wide-reaching, and complicated means of making arguments. In this class, you will analyze lyrics, visuals like music videos and fashion, and texts about music by popular and scholarly writers. Then you’ll produce original arguments and take your place at the table as a critic, scholar, and creator. In previous semesters, we’ve examined Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bragg’s songs protesting ICE in Minneapolis, lyrics as evidence in court, Beyoncé’s (re)claiming of country music, and the loss-of-innocence narratives in “boomer music.” Be prepared to find the connections between music and your interests and academic/professional goals whether that’s hard science, marketing, or politics. Music, pop culture, politics, history
Amanda Choutka Rewriting Social Change: Public Writing for Academic Citizenry 101-010, TF 9:45-11:00 Changemakers. Activists. Academic citizens. Many of us aspire to contribute to positive social change in our communities, but what does social change have to do a writing class? Public writing challenges writers to reimagine rhetoric’s power beyond the classroom. In this writing course, we’ll explore the challenges of meaningful civic engagement through reading contemporary essays, rhetorical readings, and multimodal texts, which may include essays from Roxane Gay, Ta-Nehisi Coates, Writing Spaces, and others. These texts will instruct and inspire your writing process, as you move from researching what others say to crafting a public-facing writing project focused on a public issue. Activism, rhetoric, civic engagement
Amanda Choutka Revising the Starfish Story: Public Writing and Community Engagement 101-031, TF 12:55-2:10 This is a Community-Based Learning (CBL) WRT course; CBL courses blend community engagement in D.C. while meeting the learning outcomes of the course. Students will volunteer with a D.C. community-based organization, such as DC Reads, Horton’s Kids, Martha’s Table, or The Market: AU’s Food Pantry. Those community-engaged experiences will shape our research and writing projects. Major writing assignments include reflections, an academic essay, and a public writing project that showcases your academic and community-based learning experience. Students will discover how a recursive writing process can transfer what we do in the classroom to the community and impact social change. service-learning, volunteer, experiential learning, community engagement